


I Can Change Everything About me to Fit In

by kiwi_stan



Category: Nancy Drew (TV 2019)
Genre: Other, but Diana Marvin is kind of the scariest thing about the show, but everything is okay in the end, like i know there's ghosts and demons and stuff, platanchors fight, yes i picked a title from folklore
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-29
Updated: 2020-08-11
Packaged: 2021-03-06 00:13:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,206
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25584181
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kiwi_stan/pseuds/kiwi_stan
Summary: The platanchors have their first fight after Bess reveals some confidential information to Diana Marvin.
Relationships: Ace & Bess Marvin, Ace/Nancy (a little), Bess Marvin & Ace
Comments: 2
Kudos: 33





	1. Chapter 1

Her voice is full of money. Bess had read the Great Gatsby when she was in secondary school. It wasn’t part of her required reading, but she knew it was about rich Americans doing rich American things. That had intrigued her enough to make her pick it up. The quote had stuck with her, but she’d never really understood what it meant until she met Diana Marvin. Just the way Diana talked let you know that she was rich. Her voice carried the smoothness and confidence that comes with knowing that you have enough wealth and status to obtain whatever you want. Or to manipulate anyone into doing whatever you want them to do. 

Diana rose to give Bess a stiff hug as she entered the parlor. “How are you, dear?” She asked in the same offhand way the cashier at the coffee shop did, the way that told you that they expected you to say good even if you weren’t. 

“I’m doing well.” She always felt like she needed to elevate her language around the Marvins. She couldn’t just say ‘fine’ or‘alright’. Bess settled herself on the couch that probably cost more than the van she’d been living in a few months ago. A tray holding a tea set and a plate of fancy little finger sandwiches was sitting on the coffee table, though Bess knew Diana hadn’t prepared it. She wondered if anyone in the Marvin family ever cooked or if they all had a house staff to do it for them. “Is there a particular reason why you asked me here?” The parlor was the nicest room in the house (or well, they were all nice, but the parlor in particular stood out). It was where Diana conducted her most important business and had her most important conversations. Bess knew it had to be something important. 

Diana didn’t answer right away. The room was quiet as she poured tea from the elaborately painted tea pot into the equally elaborate teacups. Bess glanced around nervously, listening to the expensive grandfather clock in the corner tick. She was wondering if that painting in the corner was a genuine Monet when Diana offered her a teacup. She accepted it and took a sip, trying not to make a face after. She knew that like everything else the Marvins owned, the tea was probably expensive, but it didn’t measure up to the cheap kind that her mother had bought back in the UK. 

“You know we like to keep up with what’s going on in this town.” Diana took a sip of her tea. “You’ve been a great help in allowing us to do that so far. I would hope that if there was any other way you could help us, you would.” 

Bess shifted nervously. Lately, Diana had been dropping hints about how she would like to know exactly how the Lucy Sable and Tiffany Hudson mysteries had been solved. Bess had been able to keep it fairly vague up until now. But Diana kept pressing for information, like she knew there was something big that Bess was holding back. “I’ve told you everything I know. Like I said, there’s some ghosts and otherworldly things going on, so I can’t really explain it.” 

Diana set her teacup on the table. The clink sounded threatening. As always, Diana was able to convey her displeasure without saying a word. “Bess, you know about our history with the Hudsons.” 

Bess didn’t. Not really. She knew it wasn’t good. None of the Marvins would go into the details yet. But something about Diana made you not want to argue with her. “Of course.” 

“And you know that it’s very important that we stay one step ahead of them. For all of the Marvins. Including you.” 

Bess felt a little thrill at being included. “Of course.” This had been drummed into Bess in all of her interactions with the Marvins. She accepted it even though she didn’t really understand it. 

Diana sighed. “You know the problem with this family? No one will go out and talk to people. Sure they’ll get to know their classmates at the Ivies and their yacht party friends. But normal people in the community? They won’t talk to them. They don’t know how. They’re so used to being around people like us.” Diana rested a hand on Bess’s knee. The silver of her rings was cold against her skin, but Bess didn’t want to pull away. Displays of affection from her aunt, someone she looked up to, were still new. “But you…you have that job at that quaint little restaurant,” Bess knew George would probably slap anyone who called the Claw quaint. But to Diana, any place without a Michelin star was quaint. “Everyone in town eats there. And all the tourists. You meet everyone. And you must hear everything. And you have your little friends there. The townies. You talk to people. You bond with them. You get close to them. You make connections. You can do things no one else in this family can.” 

Bess sat up a little straighter. Compliments from Diana were rare, and she’d never been singled out as unique among the Marvins before. “Your friends,” Diana continued. “They’ve lived here for a long time?” 

Nick hadn’t, but the idea of correcting Diana over even a little detail seemed like a Herculean task. Bess just nodded. 

“They must have stories. And since you’re their friend, they must tell you.” Bess nodded. Diana scooted a little closer to her. “Maybe you could tell me a little more about them? Just between us.” 

Bess knew what Diana was really asking for. Things that Ace, Nick, George, and Nancy had shared that should stay secret. Diana was looking at her expectantly. She’d just received overwhelming approval from her aunt for the first time. She wanted to keep that feeling. And Diana had said that whatever Bess revealed would stay a secret. If you couldn’t trust your family, who could you trust? “Well, since you mentioned the Hudsons…” She began. 

*

Bess was in a good mood as she entered the Claw a few days later. She’d hated the job at first, but Diana’s words had made her see it in a different light. It wasn’t about cranky customers or greasy food or getting stiffed on tips. It was about networking. She was still glowing from Diana’s approval a few nights earlier, and she was working the afternoon shift so she’d been able to sleep late. 

Ace was waiting by her locker, which was different, but not an unwelcome surprise. “Hey! What are you doing back here?” She asked with a smile. 

Ace didn’t smile back. “Can you explain this?” She could tell he was angry, but his voice was worryingly calm. Somehow that was worse than him yelling. He handed Bess his phone, open to a series of texts. 

DO NOT ANSWER: Hey, I think my girlfriend’s cheating. If I can get you her phone, can you hack it to check her texts? I’ll pay. 

Ace: No

DO NOT ANSWER: Come on. 

DO NOT ANSWER: If you hacked the government you can totally do this. 

The texts ended there. “What is this? I mean, who is this?” 

“A guy I know from high school. And haven’t talked to since then. Though now that he seems to know that I hacked a federal database, he’s suddenly interested in me again.” 

“Oh.” Bess fought to keep her voice light. “I wonder how he found out.” She knew exactly how and she had a feeling Ace did too. She felt her heart start to beat faster. 

“I was thinking the same thing. Not many people know about it. The cops, but there’s confidentiality laws. My parents, but they don’t want the fact that their son’s a criminal spreading. Me, but I know I didn’t tell anyone. Nancy, but I really trust her. Nick and George, but they don’t really talk to anyone but each other. You, but you’re my best friend. Then I remembered. He went to work for your family after we graduated.” 

Bess chose her next words carefully. Ace sounded really angry now. “I may have mentioned it to my aunt. And…maybe some other things.” She decided it was best to come clean with everything now. 

“Like what? Did you tell her about George and Ryan? Nick and juvie? The truth about Nancy?”

Bess sank down on the bench. She didn’t even want to think about what would happen if word started spreading about Nancy’s true parentage. “All of the above.” She offered weakly. “But she said it would just stay between us.” She attempted to defend herself. 

“And you believed her? You know that family is sketchy!” 

“That family is my family.” Bess wasn’t sure why she felt the need to defend the Marvins. Diana had betrayed her. But it was like an instinct to stick up for her family. 

Ace ignored her. “Bess, we trusted you! Nancy trusted you. She let you stay with her when you had nowhere else to go, remember that? I trusted you! You were my best friend!” 

Bess had never seen Ace angry like this before, which already had her on edge. Bess hated the fact that she’d been the one to bring this side of Ace out. But the word ‘were’ was what made her start crying. Ace had been her first friend in Horseshoe Bay. He’d been by her side as she attempted to join the Marvins. The fact that he didn’t consider them best friends anymore was what made her crack and what made the tears start to fall. “Ace, you know how Aunt Diana is. She was asking about you guys and I couldn’t refuse.” 

“What? Was she torturing you? You could have said no.” Ace was fully yelling now, which brought George storming into the locker room with Nick on her heels. Nancy, ever curious, trailed behind Nick. Bess felt guilty the second she saw Nancy. She averted her eyes, staring at the ground instead. 

“What’s with all the yelling? We have customers.” George crossed her arms and waited for an answer. 

“Bess told Diana Marvin everything. All of the Marvins and some of their staff probably know by now.” He didn’t need to elaborate on what ‘everything’ meant. 

“What?” George cried. Bess looked up in time to see Nick sliding a comforting arm around George and Ace storming out of the room and into the kitchen. Nancy glared at Bess, then followed him. 

“Ace, Nancy, wait,” Bess jumped up, fully prepared to follow and apologize. 

George stood on the steps and blocked her path. “No way. You’re not leaving until you explain.”

Bess sat back down. She dried her tears on her sleeve, though she started crying again as she explained how Diana had pressured her, how she’d made Bess feel like part of the family then tricked her into revealing her friends’ deepest, darkest secrets. She ended by saying that she knew that she’d screwed up and apologizing to both Nick and George. 

George sighed. “I’m not happy. But I can tell you were being manipulated. I know how it feels.” Bess knew she was thinking of Ryan Hudson. 

Nick, who had come to sit next to Bess when she’d started crying, rubbed her shoulder. “It’s okay. I can tell you feel pretty horrible about it.” 

Bess felt a little better being accepted by two of her friends again. But she still had to make it up to Ace and Nancy, a task that seemed as impossible as resisting Aunt Diana. 

“I don’t think we’re the ones you have to worry about.” George said, voicing Bess’s thoughts 

“I’ve never seen Ace angry like that.” Bess said. “And Nancy wouldn’t even speak to me.” 

“I haven’t either. But you know how protective of Nancy he’s been ever since she found out about…” George let the sentence trail. Even though Nancy’s parentage was no longer their little secret, it still felt weird saying it out loud. “And that’s still really hard for Nancy too.” 

Bess got up again. “Do you think they left?” 

George shrugged. “I heard the front door slam a little while ago. If they did I’m docking them. Check on table 6 while you’re out there!” She called as Bess raced out of the locker room. If she were in a better mood, Bess would have smiled. George was back to normal.

The kitchen was empty except for the cook whose name she always managed to forget, so Bess headed for the dining room. The few customers present gave her curious looks, no doubt wondering about the yelling they’d heard. Bess ignored them and headed straight for the window that overlooked the parking lot. She would look for their cars and if they weren’t there, she wouldn’t waste her time and energy running outside. 

Nancy’s cute blue car that Bess was secretly very envious of was parked right where it had been earlier, in the first spot closest to the door, where employees weren’t supposed to park. Nancy had always ignored that rule. Ace and Nancy were standing near it. Bess wasn’t close enough to see their faces, but based on their body language, Nancy looked tense and Ace looked sad, almost defeated. As Bess stood and watched, Nancy drew Ace into a comforting hug, one of the nice long ones that always made you feel safe and cared for. Though she wasn’t close enough to see his face, Bess could guess that he was crying, which made her feel even worse. She had made Ace-the calmest person she knew-yell and cry all in the same day. Ace and Nancy broke apart, but they now stood very close together. Bess thought they might be holding hands. As she leaned closer for a better look, Nancy looked straight at the window. When she noticed Bess, her expression changed to a glare. Bess jumped back. It was too soon to apologize, the hurt was too fresh. But she would think of some way to make it up to Ace and Nancy. 

*

“So,” Bess announced to the room at large when she entered the Claw the next morning. Nick and George were in the office going over paperwork, but the door was open and they both looked up when they heard Bess. Ace and Nancy were rolling silverware. Or well, Nancy was rolling silverware. Ace was looking at Nancy with concern and Nancy was pretending not to notice. Neither of them looked up when Bess spoke. “I called a family meeting with my cousins last night. I told them that I was worried about my aunt, that she’d been saying a lot of nonsense about the Earth being flat and aliens and celebrity clones lately.” 

Nick and George came out of the office. “Diana Marvin is a flat-earther?” George said. 

“No way.” Nick added. 

Nancy was the first one to get it. “You’re making her look like some conspiracy theorist. So everything she says will start to sound crazy and no one will believe it.” She said, speaking directly to Bess for the first time in over 24 hours (not that Bess had been counting).

“Including what I told her a few days ago.” Bess finished, putting it together for everyone else. “She’ll catch on and set everyone straight eventually. But it should work for now to throw people off your secrets. I’m really sorry about that.” 

“That’s actually pretty smart.” 

“Actually?” Bess asked. George wasn’t known for being complimentary, but still. Bess had thought her plan to be pretty brilliant.

George rolled her eyes. “You know what I mean. Thanks. You have the section by the windows today.” She headed back to the office. Nick smiled his thanks before following her. 

“You’re sure this will work?” Nancy asked. 

“Last I heard the older Marvins were calling a meeting to discuss whether or not Diana is still sane enough to control the fortune. It’ll work.” 

Nancy focused solely on Bess. Bess tried not to squirm under her gaze. She’d done her best to make things right, but she knew that she’d screwed up pretty badly. After a lot of soul-searching and meditating the previous night, she wasn’t expecting Nancy to forgive her. “I wasn’t going to get over this overnight. No matter what. But,” Nancy smiled a little. “This is pretty cool of you. Thanks.” She headed for the kitchen. 

Bess should have felt better. She and Nancy were on good terms again. But now she was alone with Ace, and he was the one person who she really wanted to forgive her. He finally spoke. “Your aunt is gonna be pretty mad when she realizes what you did.” His voice was even, but not the scary calm from yesterday. 

Bess felt like a weight had been lifted off her shoulders. Ace was thinking about her feelings again. “I know.” She had realized this yesterday. Not only had Bess lied, but she was discrediting Diana and making her look like the fool of the family. She wouldn’t just be mad, she would be livid. Bess would worry about that later. She would figure out some way to stay in her aunt’s good graces without selling out her friends. “You guys are worth it.” 

The line was a little sappy, like something off a CW drama, but it worked. Ace wrapped her in a hug and Bess let herself sink into him. When they broke apart, Bess took Nancy’s place and started rolling silverware. 

“What you did was huge.” He said, not willing to drop the subject quite yet. 

“I know.” 

“If you do anything like that again it will be very hard to forgive you.” 

“How could I? What other secrets are you hiding?” She teased, hoping to bring her fun and laid-back Ace back with a joke. 

“You know I’m an open book.” Ace’s voice was light, but she noticed him fidgeting with a spoon like he was nervous. 

She decided not to press it. “I won’t choose the Marvins over you guys again.” She promised, drawing a little cross across her chest. 

“I’ll hold you to that.” 

They worked in silence for a few moments. Bess took her chance. “So….I saw you and Nancy looking pretty cozy yesterday.” 

He dropped a fork and she knew that she’d caught him off guard. “When?” 

“A little after our fight? I ran after you to apologize and I saw you in the parking lot.” 

“I was pretty upset. I don’t like arguing and I felt betrayed. She was looking after me. It’s what friends do.” 

“Whatever it was, it was sweet.” She’d secretly been thinking that Ace and Nancy would make a good couple for a while now. They were always looking out for and supporting each other, and Ace seemed to be able to get through to her in a way that no one else could. They had looked cute together out in the parking lot. 

“It’s not like that. Though while we’re on the subject, what’s going on with Lizbeth?” 

Bess smiled. She had her platanchor back and things were going to be alright.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nancy's POV of the scene in the parking lot

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I mostly wanted to write the Ace and Nancy hug and hand-holding

Nancy was bored and trying to look busy under George’s watchful eye when she heard yelling coming from the back of the Claw. A few customers looked up, appearing annoyed. George and Nick shared a look and without exchanging a word both headed for the locker room. Nancy followed, partly because she was curious and partly because the last thing she wanted was to be the only employee around when customers started to complain. 

Weird things had happened at the Claw before, a murder, a seance, Bess getting attacked by Tiffany Hudson’s ghost, a forensic analysis of Lucy Sable’s skeleton. Nancy didn’t really think much could surprise her anymore, but she was startled as she trailed Nick into the locker room and realized that calm, easygoing Ace was the source of the yelling. 

“You could have said no,” was all that Nancy was able to make out as she entered the locker room behind Nick and George. Bess was sitting on the bench, crying, and she averted her eyes the second she saw Nancy. 

Nancy was already starting to worry as George demanded an explanation. 

“Bess told Diana Marvin everything. All of the Marvins and some of their staff probably know by now.” Ace explained. 

Nancy knew instantly what Ace meant by ‘everything’. George’s affair, Nick’s arrest, Ace’s hacking, Nancy’s true identity, they were no longer secrets just between the Drew Crew. Nancy’s emotions swirled so fast she wasn’t sure what to feel. Anger at Bess, panic about what would happen if word started spreading that Nancy Drew was actually Nancy Hudson, and concern for Ace-who was now storming out of the room-all spun through her mind like it was a cotton candy machine. 

Concern for Ace won out, and with a final glare at Bess, Nancy followed him into the kitchen and out of the Claw. Nancy knew George would probably dock her pay for leaving during work hours, but she didn’t really care. She didn’t really want to be around Bess right now anyway, and checking on Ace seemed more important. 

“Ace-” She began, the second they were out the Claw. 

He ignored her and kept walking. “I cannot believe that she would do that. Sell out her friends like that.” He whirled around to face Nancy. “You’re seriously not angry about this?” 

Nancy had already resolved not to speak to Bess for at least 3 weeks or until she made things right, whichever happened first. “I am. But when you’re this mad, me also being angry isn’t going to be very productive.” 

“I just can’t believe she would do that to you. To us.” 

Ace’s wording wasn’t lost on Nancy, how he’d listed her first on his list of worries. He’d mostly been angry about Nancy’s secret getting out, she realized. “Well, she did. And there really isn’t any taking it back.” Ace’s frown deepened and she realized that her words had been a little harsh. “Thank you for looking out for me.” She added, a little more gently. 

“I like looking out for you.” Ace leaned against Nancy’s car and looked thoughtful. “I’ve never yelled at someone like that, until they started crying. Much less someone I thought was my best friend.” 

Nancy had never seen Ace angry before, but she was quickly realizing that his anger was like a lightning bolt-quick, hot, and lethal if it happened to strike you, but passing quickly. She could already tell that the anger was quickly being replaced by sadness at being betrayed. All the more reason to keep walls up, Nancy thought. But she couldn’t tell him that. He looked very close to crying, which scared Nancy a little bit. She wasn’t good with people who were crying, and for some reason the thought of Ace crying seemed extra unbearable. “Ace, come here.” Not knowing what else to do to comfort him, she drew him into a hug. 

It had been a very long day and a very long few months and being held and being close to someone else felt nice so Nancy let the hug go on for longer than she normally would have. Ace was warm and solid and smelled good, far better than anyone who spent most of their days in a seafood restaurant should smell. He buried his face in her shoulder, and felt herself beginning to calm down, feeling safe and relaxed so close to Ace. She hoped she was having the same effect on him. 

Nancy was reluctant to let the hug end, so she waited for Ace to be the one to pull away. He still looked upset and Nancy missed the comfort of his touch, so she slipped one of her hands into his. He gave her a tiny smile and squeezed her hand, and Nancy felt herself begin to relax a little more. She picked that moment to glance up at the Claw to see Bess staring out the window, her gaze fixed on Ace and Nancy. Nancy felt her anger flare again as she watched Bess jump back from the window. She hoped Bess wasn’t about to run outside with an immediate apology. She had a feeling Ace’s earlier anger would return, and she wasn’t sure if she would be able to keep her cool either. 

Nancy hadn’t planned on finishing her shift anyway, but suddenly the idea of being anywhere near the Claw for a second more seemed like torture. She didn’t want to be around anyone but Ace. “What do you say,” She began, swinging their laced hands back and forth. Ace knew how to hold a hand. Not like her high school boyfriend whose grip had always been a bit too loose and had always reminded Nancy of a dead fish. She had a fleeting thought that she could get very used to holding hands with Ace. “We get out of here and go get some ice cream? I’d say we deserve it.” 

“George will dock us.” 

“You really want to be around Bess right now?” Nancy challenged. 

“Let’s go.”

**Author's Note:**

> Title is from mirrorball by Taylor Swift and (hopefully) helps get across how Bess is so desperate to be accepted by the Marvins that she'll compromise her morals to fit in.


End file.
